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Virginia Tech Carilion researchers find surprising relationships in brain signaling
Date: Sep-17-2013If the violins were taken away from the musicians performing Beethoven's 9th symphony, the resulting composition would sound very different. If the violins were left on stage but the violinists were removed, the same mutant version of the symphony would be heard. But what if it ended up sounding like "Hey Jude" instead? This sort of surprise is what scientists from the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute had during what they assumed to be a routine experiment in neurodevelopment...
Genetic variant linked with kidney failure in diabetic women but not men
Date: Sep-17-2013A genetic variant on chromosome 2 is strongly linked with kidney failure in diabetic women but not in men, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). The findings may help explain gender-specific differences in kidney failure, as well as why some diabetic women are prone to develop kidney failure. Worldwide, more than 370 million people have diabetes, which is the leading cause of kidney failure, or end stage renal disease...
Better verbal development during childhood linked to later drinking and intoxication
Date: Sep-17-2013Some studies have found that poorer cognitive abilities during adolescence and early adulthood predict an increased risk for alcohol-related injury and death among drinkers several years later. Yet other studies have connected better cognitive and verbal abilities during childhood, an earlier experimentation with alcohol, and higher levels of drinking in young adulthood. A new study supports linkages between better verbal development during childhood and more frequent drinking and intoxication during adolescence and young adulthood...
Alzheimer's patients show striking individual differences in molecular basis of disease
Date: Sep-17-2013Alzheimer's disease is thought to be caused by the buildup of abnormal, thread-like protein deposits in the brain, but little is known about the molecular structures of these so-called beta-amyloid fibrils. A study published by Cell Press September 12th in the journal Cell has revealed that distinct molecular structures of beta-amyloid fibrils may predominate in the brains of Alzheimer's patients with different clinical histories and degrees of brain damage...
Brain atrophy linked with cognitive decline in diabetes
Date: Sep-17-2013New research has shown that cognitive decline in people with Type 2 Diabetes is likely due to brain atrophy, or shrinkage, that resembles patterns seen in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Dr Chris Moran and Associate Professor Velandai Srikanth of Monash University led the first large-scale study to compare brain scans and cognitive function between people with and without Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). They found that brain atrophy, rather than cerebrovascular lesions, was likely the primary reason for cognitive impairment associated with T2DM...
New approach subtypes cancers by shared genetic effects; a step toward personalized medicine
Date: Sep-17-2013Cancer tumors almost never share the exact same genetic mutations, a fact that has confounded scientific efforts to better categorize cancer types and develop more targeted, effective treatments. In a paper published in the September 15 advanced online edition of Nature Methods, researchers at the University of California, San Diego propose a new approach called network-based stratification (NBS), which identifies cancer subtypes not by the singular mutations of individual patients, but by how those mutations affect shared genetic networks or systems...
Codeine linked to increased pain sensitivity
Date: Sep-17-2013Frequent and large does of codeine may increase sensitivity to pain and fail to offer the same relief as morphine, according to a study presented at the 2013 International Headache Congress in the US. Researchers from the Discipline of Pharmacology at The University of Adelaide in Australia conducted what they say is the world's first experimental study to compare both codeine and morphine in order to determine their pain-relieving and pain-increasing effects. Codeine is a pain medication that is a part of the class of drugs known as opioids...
Positive lifestyle changes linked to reversed aging process
Date: Sep-17-2013Positive lifestyle changes, such as adopting a healthy diet and moderate exercise, may reverse the aging process, according to a study published in The Lancet Oncology. Researchers from the University of California in San Francisco have discovered that certain lifestyle changes may increase the length of telomeres. Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes found at the end of chromosomes that control the aging process. They protect the end of the chromosomes from becoming damaged. If the telomeres are shortened or damaged, the cells age and die quicker, triggering the aging process...
Phobias may be cured by watching others, study shows
Date: Sep-17-2013Whether it is a fear of spiders, snakes or heights, many of us have phobias that we would love to be rid of for good. Now, a new study suggests that we can, by watching other individuals interact with the object or scenario that frightens us. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden say that experiencing our fears through the actions of another person may be more effective than trying to combat our fears directly, and it could even prevent them from resurfacing. Previous studies have suggested that social forms of learning may trigger phobias, the researchers say...
Scientist identifies helper cells that trigger potent responses to HIV
Date: Sep-17-2013A major new finding that will significantly advance efforts to create the world's first antibody-based AIDS vaccine was published by researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology. La Jolla Institute scientist Shane Crotty, Ph.D., a respected vaccine researcher and member of one of the nation's top AIDS vaccine consortiums, showed that certain helper T cells are important for triggering a strong antibody response against HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Helper T cells are disease-fighting immune cells key in shaping the body's response to viruses or other pathogens...
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